FCC chairman Tom Wheeler took the hot seat today in an oversight hearing before the House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology to testify about current issues before his agency, including net neutrality. The overriding theme of the day? Pretty much everyone who spoke hates the rule the FCC narrowly approved for consideration last week — just for different reasons. [More]
Government Policy
Credit Bureaus Are Over-Penalizing Consumers With Medical Debt
By 5.20.14
Making a trip to the emergency room can be a stressful experience for most consumers. The effect that trip has on your credit score shouldn’t be something you’re worried about. But a new study from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau found that consumers’ credit is overly penalized by medical debt that goes to collection. [More]
Another 2.4 Million GM Vehicles Recalled
By 5.20.14
Because apparently every model of car made by General Motors in the last decade has something wrong with it, GM has announced another round of recalls. This time, it’s four separate recalls totaling 2.42 million vehicles in the U.S. [More]
Sprint To Pay $7.5 Million To Settle Do-Not-Call Violations
By 5.20.14
In the largest settlement yet for violations of Do-Not-Call regulations, Sprint will pay $7.5 million to the FCC to resolve the commission’s investigation into Sprint’s failure to honor consumer requests to opt out of marketing phone calls and texts. [More]
FCC Chair Admits Google Is Doing Better Job Of Encouraging Broadband Than FCC Is
By 5.19.14
FCC Chair Tom Wheeler recently stated that he wants to remove the current blockades to municipal broadband, but considering the bottlenecked, red-tape logjam that is the federal government, that could take some time, especially with the amount of money the cable industry pumps into Congress every election cycle. And tomorrow, Wheeler will apparently tell Congress that the private sector is doing a much better job than the feds at bringing about broadband expansion. [More]
Sellers Of “Pure Green Coffee” Accused Of Faking News Sites, Creating Bogus Reporter
By 5.19.14
If you’re a regular watcher of the ethically questionable Dr. Oz, then you may remember how he helped start a minor “green coffee extract” craze a couple years back by declaring it a miracle weight loss drug. In an attempt to cash in on this dubious hype, a number of sites started popping up within weeks, repeating and exaggerating the already puffed-up claims, and using fake endorsements, faux news articles and fictional “reporters.” [More]
FTC Shuts Down Texas Debt Collector Who Threatened To Arrest Consumers
By 5.19.14
Debt collection is a generally unsavory operation. Thankfully, there’s now one less scummy, lying collector calling consumers. A Houston-based company is out of business and must pay $1.4 million after being charged with unsavory practices. [More]
FCC: Basic Cable Prices Increased At Four Times Rate Of Inflation
By 5.19.14
If you just had a hunch that your basic cable pricing was going up more rapidly than the other things you pay for, you’re probably not mistaken. A new FCC report on the cost of pay-TV services says that during 2012 the cost of a basic cable TV package increased at more than four times the rate of inflation in the U.S. [More]
New GM Ad: Our Cars Are No Longer “Grenade-Like” Death Traps
By 5.19.14
In the midst of a reputation-damaging string of recalls now totaling more than 11 million vehicles, General Motors is in need of an image shake-up. But the carmaker may be getting a little too honest in a new TV commercial. [More]
Video: Here’s How Easy It Is To Turn Off (And How Hard It Is To Steer) A Recalled Chevy Cobalt
By 5.16.14
Earlier today, General Motors was hit with a $35 million penalty for its decade-plus delay in recalling millions of vehicles with defective ignition switches that could be inadvertently turned off, leaving the car without power steering and braking and deactivating the air bags. GM has repeatedly stated that these cars are safe to drive because an accidentally turned-off vehicle could still be steered to safety. But is that true? [More]
FTC To NJ, Missouri: Please Don’t Block Tesla & Others From Selling Cars Directly To Consumers
By 5.16.14
After lawmakers in New Jersey and Missouri both recently proposed regulations that would prohibit car companies like Tesla Motors from selling vehicles directly to consumers instead of through independent dealers, the Federal Trade Commission is weighing in with comments for legislators in those states, urging them to consider abandoning existing laws and change things up a bit. . [More]
Novartis Continues To Market Antibiotic As A Way To Fatten Up Pigs
By 5.16.14
Last December, after decades of ignoring the issue of the non-medical use antibiotics in farm animals, the FDA finally released industry-friendly guidance on the topic, politely asking drug companies to stop selling their antibiotics to farmers for anything other than disease treatment and prevention. And yet the folks at Swiss drug giant Novartis continue to push one of their antibiotics as a way for pig farmers to make bigger pigs. [More]
GM To Pay $35 Million Fine For Botched Ignition Switch Recall
By 5.16.14
GM will be paying a record-setting $35 million fine over its completely botched decade-long ignition-switch defect and subsequent recall, the Department of Transportation announced today. [More]
How To Tell The FCC Exactly What You Think About The Proposed Net Neutrality Rule
By 5.15.14
Earlier today, the FCC voted to move forward with their new proposed net neutrality rules. While somewhat tempered from the original rumored proposal, the proposed rule is still far-sweeping and controversial. The FCC is expecting a whole heap of opinions to come pouring in on the issue, now that the official comment period is open. [More]
May Recall Roundup – Watch Out For The Jerky Blaster
By 5.15.14
“What on earth is a jerky blaster?” you may be asking. It’s a product sold by outdoor outfitter Cabela’s that lets you make your own jerky sticks at home, and it functions sort of like a caulk gun for meat. It’s been recalled because its charger might overheat, and so have a lot of other things. [More]
FCC Votes To Approve Net Neutrality Rules With Fast Lanes Intact
By 5.15.14
As predicted, the five FCC commissioners voted 3-2 today to approve Chairman Tom Wheeler’s latest version of the Open Internet rule — better known as net neutrality — with a slightly revised take on so called Internet “fast lanes,” which would have given Internet service providers like Verizon and Time Warner Cable the ability to charge content companies extra for higher priority access to end users. [More]
GM Recalls 2.7 Million Vehicles For Brake, Taillight, Windshield-Wiper And Other Issues
By 5.15.14
In an attempt to show the public, and federal regulators, that safety is of the utmost importance, General Motors issued five new recalls Thursday for a total 2.7 million vehicles. [More]
College-Educated Consumers With Student Debt Have Median Net Worth Of Just $8,700
By 5.14.14
It’s no surprise that most college graduates leave with a degree and an excessive amount of student debt. But what was once promoted as a gateway to a better life has left graduates under 40 with lower accumulated wealth and a lower level of satisfaction in their financial situation. [More]
